Appearances | Attitudes | Dating | Obesity | Self | Self-image | Success | Trust | Value

NOT SO FAST
or NOT SO FAT Steve Hodgin of Elkins, Arkansas recently sent a clipping of an article from Associated Press by Mary MacVean: “Fatter People Fight Back Against Discrimination.” Mary MacVean writes concerning Helen (full name not given) who is an outspoken member of the nonprofit organization National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance. NAAFA was founded in 1969 and has 3,000 members who believe that a person has a right to dignity and happiness regardless of their weight. Helen weighs 280 pounds and considers it a shame that some do not see her as she sees herself, “I was raised to judge myself, my own success… People are taught or conditioned to get their image from the outside world… I’ve learned over the years, at least in relationships with men, because I have self- confidence and I like myself, whether I’m fat or thin, I attract all sorts of men.”